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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — letters
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. press — to push
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com